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Rachel Allison

@rachelallison.bsky.social

Associate Prof of Sociology at Mississippi State, studies gender and sport (mostly ⚽️). Loves women’s soccer, running, music, coffee. Stepmom to one human and mama to 🐶 🐶 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐱

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Jeff Kassouf@jeffkassouf.bsky.social · last wk.

Michelle Cooper's goal celebrations and Instagram posts have shone a public spotlight on the #NWSL's new footwear policy. The NWSL wants brands to pay players AND the league for exposure, or cover their logos. There's U.S. precedent, less in 🌎 soccer. What's the policy? And the tension points?

NWSL, players and brands face off: Should league get a cut of cleat sponsorship money?

NWSL players can no longer freely sign shoe sponsorships: the league wants a cut of the money, and it's turning into a showdown between brands, players and the NWSL.

espn.com

ProPublica@propublica.org · 3w ago

Allegations of sexual misconduct against AAU coaches are handled by a board whose names are not made public. Asked about written guidelines for when to ban coaches, a former board member said the group “just decided on our feelings.” with @washingtonpost.com

A Youth Sports Giant Promised Reforms to Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse. Most Never Happened.

More than a decade after the Amateur Athletic Union promised to implement “historic child protection measures,” it still hasn’t done so, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids at risk. Some AAU athlete...

propublica.org

ProPublica@propublica.org · 4w ago

NEW: The AAU, one of the country's largest youth sports organizations, is failing on nearly every level to adequately protect children in its care from sexual abuse, a ProPublica and @washingtonpost.com investigation found.

This National Youth Sports Organization Is Failing to Protect Kids From Sexual Abuse

More than a decade after the Amateur Athletic Union promised to implement “historic child protection measures,” it still hasn’t done so, leaving hundreds of thousands of kids at risk. Some AAU athlete...

propublica.org

Ella Brockway@ellabrockway.bsky.social · last mo.

What is in Fifa's 25-page sales pitch: a reference to more than doubling the number of global tournaments held each year, from 200 to 450 What is not in Fifa's 25-page sales pitch: a single reference to women's football

Fifa’s sales pitch revealed: more tournaments, more debt … but no mention of women’s game

Fifa’s sales pitch to persuade members to approve the sale of the World Cup’s commercial rights clearly states that their plans for financial growth will be achieved by staging more tournaments, havin...

theguardian.com

Rachel Allison@rachelallison.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New article examining public opinion on the online harassment of women in sport, with Adam Gemar and Stacey Pope: journals.sagepub.com/eprint/K7XYX...

How Does the Public Perceive the Problem? The Online Harassment of Women in Sport - Rachel Allison, Adam Gemar, Stacey Pope, 2026

Research has shown the pervasive online harassment of women in sport, yet limited scholarship has examined public perceptions of the online harassment of women ...

journals.sagepub.com

Jeff Kassouf@jeffkassouf.bsky.social · 2mo ago

BREAKING: The USL and USLPA have reached a tentative agreement for the first CBA in Super League history, giving their women's players standardized rights like minimum salaries ($37.2K w/risers), player consent to transfers, insurance, housing. More on ESPN:

USL Super League, union agree to CBA key terms

The USL Super League and the USL Players Association announced on Thursday a tentative agreement over key terms of its first collective bargaining agreement.

espn.com

Eoghan Sweeney@eoghan.eurosky.social · 3mo ago

I don't want to hear another word about how much white European visitors are enjoying ranch dressing while team officials, Africa's top referee, and now one of the world's most celebrated fans are turned away from the World Cup. The USA is an utterly unfit host — it's as simple as that

DR Congo superfan denied US visa to support team at World Cup

Michel Kuka Mboladinga is iconic for his motionless tribute at DRC games, but a US World Cup repeat has been denied.

aljazeera.com

Lamine’s Left Foot@hillaryjhaldanephd.bsky.social · 3mo ago

People interested in watching Morocco tonight—the men’s side isn’t the only Cinderella story in world football. The women’s game is equally magical: www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...

The Long Rise of the Moroccan Women's Football Team | 15 | Critical Pe

This chapter explores the long rise of the Moroccan women’s football team to the world stage, considering the political and cultural factors that serve to

taylorfrancis.com

Rachel Allison@rachelallison.bsky.social · 3mo ago

New article online today with Braden Leap! "Finding Gratitude and Getting Feral: How Peloton Instructors Construct Fitness Identities Across Country and Hip Hop Rides" online.ucpress.edu/jpms/article...

Finding Gratitude and Getting FeralHow Peloton Instructors Construct Fitness Identities Across Country and Hip Hop Rides

While digital fitness requires unique instructor labor to connect with users, limited scholarship has considered the practices of fitness instructors via digital platforms. We investigate how musical ...

online.ucpress.edu

Jeff Kassouf@jeffkassouf.bsky.social · 4mo ago

I've had a recurring thought over the past year-ish: The #NWSL must reach new audiences to grow at true scale. It also can't ignore its current/longtime fans. That audience expansion creates inevitable tension. The catch is, the league needs both -- and the dilemma is not unique in sports or biz.

Why NWSL's business expansion creates tension between longtime fans and newcomers

As the NWSL expands its business, awkward and failed deals have irked hardcore fans -- and that friction isn't going away anytime soon.

espn.com

Rachel Allison@rachelallison.bsky.social · 5mo ago

When I was asked to write something about the World Cup, I almost declined. As a scholar of women's football, what did I have to say about it? But I thought more, especially also about the Women's World Cup, and I'm proud of what I came up with: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/HZKUZ...

Extending the critique: the (men’s) world cup as a gendered mega event

Published in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies (Ahead of Print, 2026)

tandfonline.com

Jeff Kassouf@jeffkassouf.bsky.social · 5mo ago

NEWS: The #NWSL and NWSLPA have joined Project ACL alongside England's WSL to deepen the study around the prevalence of ACL injuries in women's soccer. FIFPRO will lead and guide the study. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

NWSL, players association team up on Project ACL initiative

The NWSL Players Association and the NWSL announced on Wednesday that they have joined Project ACL, an initiative focused on reducing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women's professional soccer...

espn.com

The Women's Game@womensgamemib.bsky.social · 6mo ago

A new FIFA regulation rules that at least TWO staff members on the bench of every team at women's tournaments must be female—either in an assistant coach or head coach role 🚨 It will come into effect this year during the U17 & U20 Women's World Cup & Champions Cup competitions.

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Jeff Kassouf@jeffkassouf.bsky.social · 6mo ago

It's #NWSL Opening Day 2026! Gotham won the 2025 title only 111 days ago. The inaugural season in 2013 only went from April-August, followed by a 224-day gap (!) until the 2014 season. Portland Thorns at Washington Spirit (8 ET, Prime) opens the 2026 slate tonight.

Jeff Kassouf@jeffkassouf.bsky.social · 6mo ago

The new #NWSL season is near, so new Ambition Rankings are here. Boston and Denver join the mix to make 16 teams, which can really be divided into two or three tiers at this stage. How is each team trending up or down? Great ambition does not always lead to strong implementation.

NWSL ambition rankings: All 16 clubs judged by the big moves they are or aren't making

The NWSL has teams that are building stadiums, signing stars and spending money. Meanwhile, other teams, well, aren't doing any of that.

espn.com

Barack Obama@barackobama.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicated his life fighting for equity and justice. He taught us that even in the face of intimidation and discrimination, we must never stop working towards a better future – a lesson that feels especially relevant today.